It's Not a Weight Loss Solution - Understanding Your BMI

Plastic surgery cannot make an obese person skinny. What plastic surgery can do is remove problem areas of fat that you have trouble getting rid of with diet and exercise. It can also remove loose skin that occurs with aging, after losing weight, or after childbirth. But it’s unrealistic to think that plastic surgery can make someone who’s very overweight look thin.

Over the next several posts, I’m going to address what you need to know about how to have healthy, realistic expectations when it comes to surgeries like liposuction or tummy tucks.

The Importance of Your Body Mass Index

We use the body mass index (BMI) as a guide when considering if someone is a good candidate for surgery. BMI is a guide based on your height and weight that helps us categorize your level of obesity.

In general, if your BMI is in the normal or slightly overweight range, it’s okay to have plastic surgery. If your BMI is over thirty, which is the obese category, in most cases we recommend you lose weight and get your BMI to normal or close before you have a plastic surgery procedure. If your BMI is thirty-five to forty, you should probably not be having plastic surgery unless you’ve already had bariatric surgery for weight loss and you’ve lost as much weight as you can. If your BMI is over forty, plastic surgery is almost always contraindicated, and you need to pursue weight-loss options on your own before you undergo any type of plastic surgery procedure.

You can consult the following chart to find out what your own BMI score is. The BMI chart is easy to use; just find your height on one axis, your weight on the other, and you have a number.

Learn more about whether pursuing a cosmetic procedure is the right choice for you by getting your copy of, “Making the Cut” available for purchase on Amazon.